Apple’s iMessage is not a “core platform” in EU, so it can stay walled off (arstechnica.com)

submitted 5 months ago by brisk@aussie.zone to c/technology@beehaw.org

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[-] sanzky@beehaw.org 30 points 5 months ago

iMessages is like a footnote here. I was surprised it was even considered.

[-] gregorum@lemm.ee 21 points 5 months ago

Now that you’ve let your guard down, Apple is free to do whatever they want. It’s exactly exactly what Apple wanted.

[-] sanzky@beehaw.org 2 points 5 months ago

they wanted to be irrelevant in the European market for chat applications?

[-] gregorum@lemm.ee 5 points 5 months ago

no, merely considered irrelevant— for legal purposes. why? read the headline.

[-] sanzky@beehaw.org 3 points 5 months ago

Im not sure you understands how this work. but anyway... they can do whatever with their service. I (or any person I know) dont plan to use it 🤷

[-] Bitrot 16 points 5 months ago

It’s a win for Apple, but isn’t it also sort of a loss because they’re not popular enough to count?

[-] petrescatraian@libranet.de 7 points 5 months ago

@Bitrot Kinda like that. Most friends of mine don't even own an iPhone. Those who do, generally use Facebook Messenger to speak to each other. If anyone is not on Facebook, they are surely on WhatsApp, or they can be reached via the classical phone calls and SMS messages (but I've yet to meet someone who I need to use these with, as they are clearly inconvenient as hell). If there's a group chat, it is generally on WhatsApp.

I heard Telegram is popular as well in the post-soviet space. It is my fallback as well, and I'm not in one. Plenty of Romanian channels (news or organizations), and I speak with a couple of friends from there. I realize this is just "a different WhatsApp" from the POV of a centralized silo, but the features are great and I'd clearly trust Telegram more than Meta.
@brisk

[-] And009@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 4 months ago

I've always had android and never had any iMessage issues since whatsapp, telegram etc are much more popular here

[-] petrescatraian@libranet.de 1 points 4 months ago

@And009 yea, WhatsApp and other Meta products are especially so ubiquitous.

[-] And009@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 4 months ago

Hope signal becomes the default or brings in some kind of support without the meta tracking

[-] gregorum@lemm.ee 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

A loss for European consumers, you mean.

Apple would rather a hit to their ego than a legal restriction anywhere. A little marketing can fix the former, but the latter can be permanent and fatal.

[-] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 3 points 5 months ago

The government labeling something that Apple fans love as “not needing regulation” is purely a win for Apple. Imagine if 99% of text messages sent were via iMessage, and the EU kept the same ruling. That means that Apple has a functioning monopoly that is not considered a monopoly because there’s technically an alternative.

[+] skullgiver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

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[-] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago

Did you just say Apple would try to prevent their users from switching to iMessage? Apple knows iMessage is a massive selling point for iPhones which is the reason Apple is so afraid of opening iMessage up to begin with.

[-] Knuschberkeks@feddit.de 9 points 5 months ago

Bu that's the point, it isn't a selling point in europe. People here mainly use WhatsApp. As a european iPhone user with a lot of other iPhone users in my social circle I pretty much never get an iMessage. I got one two weeks ago, but before that my last iMessage was in 2018. I've never heard anyone here talk about blue vs green bubbles and never heard iMessage mentioned in an Android vs iOS discussion.

[+] BolexForSoup@kbin.social 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

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[-] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

It is a major point of social pressure. People get legitimately upset when they start a group chat and realize one of the members doesn’t have an iPhone. That absolutely makes it valuable to Apple

[+] BolexForSoup@kbin.social 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

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[-] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I agree it’s a minor irritation by most standards, but when all that’s on the line is making jokes about someone based on their choice of phone there’s no reason not to pressure someone else. As to sources, I see it happen all the time. I used to be the one who upset people, then I bought an iPhone and almost everyone I texted got really excited to see the color of our chat change. I’ve also seen countless memes about green chat bubbles and people ruining group chats because of their Androids. I’m not sure you’re going to get much more reliable sources than anecdotal ones for something like this.

[-] BolexForSoup@kbin.social 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

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[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 4 months ago

Okay, I’ve been using an iPhone for over a decade at this point. I’ve seen the memes online and stuff but I have never met a real person who gives a shit? I’ve seen social pressures to sign up for Discord, Telegram & Signal so someone can be added to a group chat. I don’t know anyone that wants to group text message though, it never comes up. That’s kind of the thing with iMessage, to make it “simple” and “just works” Apple made it an extension of texting. But no one texts anymore. It’s basically just wifi calling for text messages but locked to one type of phone. I see this supposed iPhone user talked about all the time but I’ve never once cared about the colour of the bubble or any of this stuff?

[-] Norgur@kbin.social 1 points 5 months ago

I've been told that that's how the kids roll these days in the US.

[-] sanzky@beehaw.org 5 points 5 months ago

Imagine if 99% of text messages sent were via iMessage, and the EU kept the same ruling.

If 99% of messages were sent via iMessage the ruling would have been different. if it ever fulfils the criteria needed to be considered gatekeepers, then they will be designed as such.

[-] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago

I’m sure the rule would be different. My point was mostly to say this is in no way bad for Apple

[-] Norgur@kbin.social 1 points 5 months ago

It's not bad for apple, but iMessage is so irrelevant here in Germany, even the most die hard Apple fans will use WhatsApp no matter what.

[-] kindenough@kbin.social 1 points 5 months ago

Same here in the Netherlands. All the people I know with an iPhone use Whatsapp. I only use the standard app to read incoming SMS.

[-] BumbleBeeButt@lemmy.zip 1 points 5 months ago

Yes, my thoughts.

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 1 points 5 months ago

🤖 I'm a bot that provides automatic summaries for articles:

Click here to see the summary

The iMessage service did meet the definition of a "core platform," serving at least 45 million EU users monthly and being controlled by a firm with at least 75 billion euros in market capitalization.

But after "a thorough assessment of all arguments" during a five-month investigation, the Commission found that iMessage and Microsoft's Bing search, Edge browser, and ad platform "do not qualify as gatekeeper services."

While Apple has agreed to take up RCS, an upgraded form of carrier messaging with typing indicators and better image and video quality, it will not provide encryption for Android-to-iPhone SMS, nor remove the harsh green coloring that particularly resonates with younger users.

Apple is still obligated to comply with the Digital Markets Act's other implications on its iOS operating system, its App Store, and its Safari browser.

While it's unlikely to result in the same kind of action, Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, said at a conference yesterday that the FCC "has a role to play" in investigating whether Apple's blocking of the Beeper Mini app violated Part 14 rules regarding accessibility and usability.

The blocking and workarounds continued until Beeper announced that it was shifting its focus away from iMessage and back to being a multi-service chat app, minus one particular service.

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